Vinte e Sete Meses em Moçambique : August 2014

On August 17^th when my traveling buddy Tommy and I stepped over Malawi's imaginary border line from Mozambique, we saw booths where people were frying potatoes and slicing tomatoes for a salad. Other stations hung used clothes that fluttered in the wind over piles of dresses, t-shirts, and pants that were for sale. We saw women carrying buckets of fruit on their heads while colorful African-patterned sarongs gripped tightly around their swaying hips. We looked at each other and said that it still felt like we were in our host country.

It wasn't until we tried speaking Portuguese and saw the people in the mini bus look at us as if we asked them why the sky was blue, that we realized that we were in a country whose official language was English. When we asked the conductor if his mini bus went to Blantyre, Malawi's biggest city, he replied, “Yes” and told us how much it would cost. The price was only 1,300 Kwacha per person, or $3.28 USD for a two hour drive.

While we waited for the the mini bus to fill up, I left my backpack in the front seat with Tommy and went over to a young lady who was selling something that was fried and cylinder-shaped. When I asked her about the glistening fried Oompa Loompa-orange treat, she didn't understand my English. I called over the conductor to help translate from Chichewa to English (surprisingly, not many people we encountered on our trip spoke English). After I bought a bag of—what turned out to be— fried yucca coated in curry spice, I shared some with Tommy and we leaned back in our seats smiling as we devoured the greasy snack.

That's how our six-day adventure began and I'm hoping that the pictures can illustrate the rest of the trip...

Sign: "Welcome To Blantyre." Me: Why, thank you!

My friend Tommy working as a health volunteer in the same province as me

First meal in Malawi

Eating an Indian dish called Maisuri (Maysore) Masala Dosa for the first time. One of the most delicious meals I've ever had!

Waiting for tea and coffee at an Ethiopian restaurant in Blantyre

Kuche Kuche beer reminded me of Blue Moon

Breath-taking view of Cape Maclear from the lodge for only $10 per night

Can you spot the drummers?

Just chillin'

Drums and Sunset

View from my little hike

\Awkward photo of me in front of a boulder

Malawian Kwacha

Here's my Malawian friend rowing us on the canoe

This trip wouldn't have been complete without a selfie in the canoe

We bumped into our PCV friends Matt and Charlie in Cape Maclear.

Heating up the drums

Charlie, Sina, and I jammin'

Enjoying a cold Malawian beer and watching the sunset

Baobab tree by the lake

Mancala, Kuche Kuche beer, and curry with rice

Goodbye, Malawi. It was great!

Updated: The pictures below were taken by Tommy

13 August 2014

The girls day camp has been the highlight of my Peace Corps so far! The first part of the event went from August 11th-August 14th where the girls from an elementary school in the community

participated in an introductory course on soccer, basketball, handball and volleyball and HIV/AIDS. The second part will begin in September and for six Saturdays until November, the group will continue to practice the four sports and learn about HIV/AIDS.

Because there are a lack of resources in my host community, the elementary school can't afford to buy balls for the kids. And by the time they reach high school, many of them still won't know the difference between a soccer ball and a volleyball because my secondary school can't afford to buy balls either.

My counterparts and I wanted to start a program that would be able to provide balls to encourage girls to play sports at a young age and teach them income generation methods so that they can buy their own sports material in the future.

By November 2014, my counterparts and I hope to:

1. Promote leadership and team-building skills

2. Empower young girls and women through sports

3. Implement sustainable and fun educational activities

4. Generate community discussions on the facts about HIV/AIDS and health & nutrition

5. Teach HIV/AIDS education through soccer, basketball, volleyball, handball and other activities

6. Advocate community involvement for safe sex practices

7. Encourage more girls and young women to participate in sports in the community

8. Foster a safe environment for girls to have fun

For more information about my grant proposal and this project, visit: http://mozampaz.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-small-grant-project-aimed-to-make-big.html

Peace Corps encourages their volunteers to work with counterparts in their communities when implementing projects. My counterparts, PE teachers Sumburane and Licenço, are more well-versed in sports than I am and were able to give great presentations about using condoms, eating fruits and vegetables, and drinking plenty of clean water. Not to mention, their Portuguese is better than mine and were able to convey their message more clearly.

Moreover, my counterparts said they want to continue working with young girls to encourage them to play sports. In other words, there's hope that this project will continue on after I complete my Peace Corps service in November.

The aspect that I liked most about this event was that female student athletes from my high school

taught the girls different sport activities and facilitated sessions on HIV/AIDS, nutrition, and income generation. In other words, the girls from the elementary school are working with positive female role-models in their community.

I'm so proud of everyone. We worked as a team and that in itself makes us winners!

Here are photos from August 11th- August 14th...

My counterpart (Licenço) and a student (Esmaralda) are giving a volleyball demonstration to the athlete mentors during the training of trainers session

First day of the camp and the girls are taking a pre-test on HIV/AIDS, health & nutrition, and income generation.

Captolina and Lolita grading the pre-tests

The girls are watching short films on a projector about HIV/AIDS ("Scenarios From Africa")

As an ice-breaker, the girls are playing "Freeze Dance". When the music stops, they have to stand still or else they're out of the game

The girls dancing and having a great time!

Student athletes are here giving a talk on income generation projects

It's important to stretch before playing sports. Cramps in the muscles no fun

My counterpart and I discussing the fundamentals of basketball

Practicing passing and dribbling the basketball

Here I am being assertive. It's game time!

My counterpart, Mr. Sumburane is explaining the the rules of volleyball

The girls from the elementary school are lined up in the gym to practice volleyball

The girls were split up in four groups for volleyball drills with the high school volleyball players

Anabela showing off her volleyball skills

More volleyball practice

A group of girls holding a volleyball with their athlete mentor, Anabela (in red)

Sidoca pumping up handballs

Mr. Licenço teaching some girls how to play handball

I promise you that they smile and laugh a lot. But when I try to take pictures of them, sometimes they look as though they lost a game

Some of the student athletes and I taking a break

Dona Margarita is giving an exceptional educational presentation on HIV/AIDS. She mentioned how we shouldn't be afraid to give hugs and hold hands with people who are HIV positive and she debunked some of the myths about the virus

Here's my site-mate, Regan, helping Dona Margarita with the presentation

Egg sandwiches and sweet potatoes fries for lunch

Mr. Sumburane talking about the importance of abstinence and also describing what condoms are used for. He emphasized that they are NOT to be used as balloons

Have you ever seen a condom demonstration using a Coke bottle? Not to brag, but I have!

Leticia and Captolina really wanted you to see their beautiful faces. They're two of my girls from the basketball team

Sumburane showing the girls a baseball and a baseball bat and telling them the origins of the sport

Fernanda and Minoria introducing the next HIV/AIDS activity. This sad box is a piñata that is filled with notebooks and candy. The piñata represents HIV and the baseball bat representing all things that prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS such as abstinence, community awareness and proper condom use. When we combat HIV/AIDS as a community, good things come out of it! Clever, right? ;-)

Here are the girls walking quietly in a line like a choo-choo train for their piñata activity

Piñata time!

This was not only a fun activity that had a positive message about HIV/AIDS, but it was also great for them to swing a baseball bat for the first time.